Technology “Book” Summary: The Next Web
As part of our connection to the new world of technology, it is important to realize that there are more scholarly resources now found in a online format than ever before. One such resource is a web blog entitled The Next Web: Technology News, Business and Culture, or TNW for short. It is a blog, designed by a team of writers and creators to share cutting edge news in technology with the rest of the world. After browsing through the website site for several consecutive days and reading the articles I found there, I got a really strong sense of the vision the creators had and what the website has to offer.
The first thing to notice when entering the site is that it is set up in a unique way. There are many different channels to browse including, events, gadgets, media, mobile, school media and video just to name a few. Then, there are some rather interesting channels with headings like “life hacks”, “daily dose” and “shareables”. Immediately, a reader will want to click into the categories and see what the site has to offer. Begin to browse around, and it is clear that the entire site is devoted to technology. There was even one article on the fashionable entrepreneur and how they are changing the way we look at technological integration in the workplace! There is something for everyone, from fashion trends to building your own computer. The reader becomes quickly immersed in stories from around the globe. Another interesting feature the website can boast is that it services 5 regions throughout the world. Clicking on a different region will bring you to the latest technology news related to those particular countries. It seems that the creators of The Next Web are truly trying to create a global interchange for technological information.
The site is equipped with several tech features that are useful for regular bloggers. First, the blogger can connect the site to any RSS aggregate for daily updates on the most interesting news articles and blog posts. It is also possible to subscribe to the site and have these details sent directly to a private e-mail address in a daily, weekly or monthly digest. There is a phone app for iphone users as well as links to facebook and twitter, all on the home page. All of this is to be expected from a truly technological website and TNW does not disappoint. There is very little advertising on the site, which makes for easy navigation and for those out there who would rather listen than read; there are several daily pod casts available as well.
The site, although geared toward the general public is useful for educators too. The site helps show that technology in other countries is racing just as fast as it is here in the United States. For example, one article I read posted by Courtney Boyd Meyers talked about mobile phone trends in Africa. She projects the face of education will change because more kids will have access to books and information through mobile connected e-readers. This will change the gaps in education in Africa and change the global market in a big way. These types of things are important for us to understand here in this country so we can make sure that our kids are keeping up with the ever changing face of technology, even in the most remote villages in Africa. (2011)
TWN was created as a spin off to a web conference that was already going on at the time. Since then, the site has kept that tradition with conferences bringing together readers around the world. The site is planning several conferences through 2011 to invite it’s readers to come see speakers live and interact with new technologies hands on. These are offered in different cities around the globe and this is the third year they have been offered. As the website says “Where we really aim to stand out is by bringing news and views from an international perspective. With writers across Europe, Australasia, Middle East, Africa, Asia and North & South America, you can rest assured that if it’s worth hearing about – you’ll hear it from us…first.” (2008)
Overall, I would say that The Next Web is a fabulous resource for those out there interested in technology and what it has to offer the world. It is apparent that the trends of media are pushing us to look toward online sources, rather than printed ones. This is a place that people who want to be part of the changing digital platform for information can stay up to date on the biggest and brightest in the business. I highly recommend the site.
As part of our connection to the new world of technology, it is important to realize that there are more scholarly resources now found in a online format than ever before. One such resource is a web blog entitled The Next Web: Technology News, Business and Culture, or TNW for short. It is a blog, designed by a team of writers and creators to share cutting edge news in technology with the rest of the world. After browsing through the website site for several consecutive days and reading the articles I found there, I got a really strong sense of the vision the creators had and what the website has to offer.
The first thing to notice when entering the site is that it is set up in a unique way. There are many different channels to browse including, events, gadgets, media, mobile, school media and video just to name a few. Then, there are some rather interesting channels with headings like “life hacks”, “daily dose” and “shareables”. Immediately, a reader will want to click into the categories and see what the site has to offer. Begin to browse around, and it is clear that the entire site is devoted to technology. There was even one article on the fashionable entrepreneur and how they are changing the way we look at technological integration in the workplace! There is something for everyone, from fashion trends to building your own computer. The reader becomes quickly immersed in stories from around the globe. Another interesting feature the website can boast is that it services 5 regions throughout the world. Clicking on a different region will bring you to the latest technology news related to those particular countries. It seems that the creators of The Next Web are truly trying to create a global interchange for technological information.
The site is equipped with several tech features that are useful for regular bloggers. First, the blogger can connect the site to any RSS aggregate for daily updates on the most interesting news articles and blog posts. It is also possible to subscribe to the site and have these details sent directly to a private e-mail address in a daily, weekly or monthly digest. There is a phone app for iphone users as well as links to facebook and twitter, all on the home page. All of this is to be expected from a truly technological website and TNW does not disappoint. There is very little advertising on the site, which makes for easy navigation and for those out there who would rather listen than read; there are several daily pod casts available as well.
The site, although geared toward the general public is useful for educators too. The site helps show that technology in other countries is racing just as fast as it is here in the United States. For example, one article I read posted by Courtney Boyd Meyers talked about mobile phone trends in Africa. She projects the face of education will change because more kids will have access to books and information through mobile connected e-readers. This will change the gaps in education in Africa and change the global market in a big way. These types of things are important for us to understand here in this country so we can make sure that our kids are keeping up with the ever changing face of technology, even in the most remote villages in Africa. (2011)
TWN was created as a spin off to a web conference that was already going on at the time. Since then, the site has kept that tradition with conferences bringing together readers around the world. The site is planning several conferences through 2011 to invite it’s readers to come see speakers live and interact with new technologies hands on. These are offered in different cities around the globe and this is the third year they have been offered. As the website says “Where we really aim to stand out is by bringing news and views from an international perspective. With writers across Europe, Australasia, Middle East, Africa, Asia and North & South America, you can rest assured that if it’s worth hearing about – you’ll hear it from us…first.” (2008)
Overall, I would say that The Next Web is a fabulous resource for those out there interested in technology and what it has to offer the world. It is apparent that the trends of media are pushing us to look toward online sources, rather than printed ones. This is a place that people who want to be part of the changing digital platform for information can stay up to date on the biggest and brightest in the business. I highly recommend the site.
Courtney Boyd Myers. (2011, April, 27). Mobile Technologies Take Hold to Shape the
Future in Africa. Retrieved from http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2011/04/27/mobile-technologies-take-hold-to-shape-the-future-of-africa/.
The Next Web Team. (2008, January). The Next Web: Technology News, Business and
Culture. Retrieved from http://thenextweb.com/.